Mechanism and method for automatically producing pillow cases, bags, and the like



Jan. 4 1966 G T GORE 3,227,118

MECHANISM AND METHOD FC )R AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING PILLOW CASES, BAGS, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 21, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

a INVENTOR.

GRnvEs T. GORE Jan. 4, 1966 G T-.-G"ORE 3,227,118

MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING PILLOW CASES, BAGS, AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 21} 1963 GRRVES T. GORE A TTUIPNEKS' G. T. GORE Jan. 4, 1966 3,22 ING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUC PILLOW CASES. BAGS, AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet'5 Filed NOV. 21, 1963 INVENTOR. @RRVES T. GORE Jan. 4, 1966 G T GORE 7,1 8

MECHANISM Ami METHOD. FR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING PILLOW GASES, BAGS, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 21, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 @RHVES T- GORE JI'T'OR/VEYJ Jan. 4, 1966 G. T. GORE 3,227,118

MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING PILLOW CASES. BAGS, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 21, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fig: 6'

I N VE NTOR.

'ZERRVES T GORE BY United States Patent MECHANISM AND METHGD FOR AUTOMATI- CALLY PRODUCING PILLOW CASES, BAGS, AND THE LIKE Graves T. Gore, Ware Shoals, S.C., assignor to illegal Textile Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 325,318 6 Claims. (Cl. 1312-) This invention relates to a mechanism and method of automatically producing pillow cases, bags, and the like and more particularly to a mechanism and method for automatically forming bags, pillow cases, and the like from an open width, continuous web of textile material.

In the prior manufacture of pillow cases, bags, and the like, it was necessary to carry out a series of steps by a series of separate operators, either manually or with separate machines. This necessarily involved a large number of operators, time consumption, inetficiency, and. costliness. Another disadvantage of this type of manufacture was the amount of space necessary to hold these separate machines and operators. Also, the human element involved in these separate operations by separate operators produced a tendency toward non-uniformity in the finished products.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mechanism and method for automatically carrying out the various steps in the manufacturing of pillow cases, bags, and the like which will eliminate various operators, cut down on time consumption, increase efiiciency, reduce cost, conserve space, and increase uniformity in the finished product.

In accordance with this invention a mechanism and method is provided whereby a continuous, open width web of material is fed from a supply roll. The continuous web is folded over and hemmed along one longitudinal edge to provide a hemmed edge which will eventually form the open mouth of the pillow case, bag or the like. The hemmed, continuous web is then led forward through the machine and cut in the transverse direction into individually cut pieces of a predetermined length. These cut pieces are folded about a transverse axis so that the cut edges are superposed. The folded pieces are then sewed along the unhemmed edge and then along the cut edge to complete the pillow case, bag, or the like having a hemmed open mouth. This mechanism and method makes it possible to automatically produce a pillow case, bag, or the like without the necessity of utilizing individual operators to perform the various steps necessary to form this product.

An illustrative, but nonlimiting, example of a means for performing the aforementioned folding operation is by utilizing a system of two holding plates and a pusher plate. The individually cut piece of material is held in a vertical plane immediately following cutting and the pusher plate which is disposed in a horizontal plane is moved to contact the cut piece along a transverse axis midway of the length of the cut piece. This pusher plate will move the cut piece forward and force it between two holding plates disposed in horizontal planes in superposed relationship and thereby sandwich the folded cut piece between the holding plates in a horizontal plane for the sewing operations.

An illustrative, but nonlimiting, example of a means for performing the aforementioned sewing operations is by utilizing a pivoting or swinging sewing machine. The sewing machine is so located that it will sew the folded cut piece which is sandwiched between the holding plates along the unhemmed or bottom edge as the plates convey the cut piece in the longitudinal direction of the machine. When this seam is completed, the sewing machine will swing ninety degrees and be in position for sewing the cut piece along the cut side edge as the cut piece is pulled from the holding plates in the transverse direction of the machine or ninety degrees to the previous direction of travel of the cut piece.

Further features of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation view of the main components of the mechanism of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the pivoting sewing machine and the drive mechanism therefor; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the belt conveyor systems.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a continuous web of textile material 10 is shown extending from a supply roll 11. The web it) passes over two closely spaced carrier rolls l2 and 13. Between these carrier rolls is located an electrical alignment sensing finger 14. The alignment sensing finger is weighted to be pivoted oif center into contact with one of the selvage edges of the web lit. The sensing finger is provided to ensure that the travel of the web 19 is always in alignment on that selvage edge as it travels through the machine. To provide this alignment the sensing finger 14 is electrically connected to any suitable mechanical linkage or mechanism (not shown) which will move the supply roll 11 from one side to the other or vice versa to keep the web ill in alignment. Thus, if the web 10 strays out of alignment, it will move the sensing fin er 14 which will actuate a mechanical mechanism to move the supply roll 11 to correct the misalignment.

The web lil then passes over a driven abrasive covered draw roll 15 which serves as the means for pulling the web 10 from the supply roll ll over the previously described devices. From the draw roll 15 the web ll) passes under and over carrier rolls 16, 17 and 13 which maintain the proper tension in the web.

From these carrier rolls, the web lll passes through a hem folding apparatus 19 which contacts one selvage edge of the web and folds it over into superposed relation to the web, as may be seen in FIG. 3. Following this action the folded over hem passes through a standard continuously operating sewing machine 25 which sews the hem in place. The sewed hem will eventually form the mouth of the pillow case, bag, or the like.

Following sewing, the web Ill with the hemmed edge is led over an electrical heated cylinder 21 to iron the hem in the web smooth.

The web lit then passes over a swinging compensating roll 22 and over a second driven abrasive covered draw roll 23 which is adapted to be driven slightly faster than the draw roll 15. The compensating roll 22 is so arranged, as shown in FIG. 2, to take up any longitudinal slack in the web ll) as it is weighted by lever and weight 26 to swing from left to right as viewed in that figure. The draw roll 23 draws the continuous web 10 through the previously described mechanisms following the first draw roll 15. The draw roll 23 is driven in unison with the first draw roll 15 by a chain and sprocket drive, generally indicated by the reference numeral 2a, to maintain proper tension back to the first draw roll 15. The second draw roll 23 is equipped with an electric clutch and brake 25, as seen in FIG. 3, the purpose of which will be described later.

From the second draw roll 23, the web 10 travels vertically downward through an air cylinder actuated cutter mechanism 28, into a first belt conveyor system 29, and into a second belt conveyor system 30. The first belt conveyor system 29 includes a driven shaft 31 and a plurality of arms 32 which carry a plurality of vertically disposed conveyor belts 33 which contact a vertically disposed plate 34 to convey the web therebetween. The second belt conveyor system 3h also comprises a driven shaft 35 and a plurality of arms 36 which carry a plurality of vertically disposed conveyor belts 37 which contact a vertically disposed plate 38 to convey the web 10 therebetween. The first belt conveyor system 29 and plate 34. are spaced vertically from the second belt conveyor system 30 and plate 33 to form a narrow slot across the width of the machine and across the width of the web 153. The belts 33 and 37 are driven substantially with the second draw roll 23, but at a slight over speed to keep the web ltl tight and wrinkle free against the plates 34 and In operation, the web lltl passes down between the first and second belt conveyor systems 29 and 3t. When the leading end of the web It] passes the desired distance from the cutter mechanism 23, it contacts a switch 39 which switches current from the clutch to the brake in the clutch and brake mechanism to momentarily stop to draw roll 23 and to actuate the air cylinder actuated cutter mechanism 28 to cut the web 10 into a cut length of the desired length and to retract to its normal position. Any slack which occurs in the web it is taken up by the compensating roll 22 and will be consumed by the action of draw roll 23 which is driven slightly faster than draw roll 15.

Cooperating with the cutter mechanism and the conveyor systems is a folding and holding assembly, generally designated at if? in FIG. 1. The holding assembly includes a horizontally movable pusher plate 4-1 located in alignment with the slot between conveyor systems 29 and on one side thereof. The pusher plate 41 has a plurality of pins 27 on the leading end which pierce the cut length of web It) to prevent any sliding of the cut length when contacted by the pusher plate. This pusher plate 41 is mounted on a rack and pinion 42 to be actuated by an air cylinder 43 to move back and forth through the aforementioned slot in its horizontal path. The folding and holding assembly 4t) further includes upper horizontal holding plate 44 and lower horizontal holding plate 45 in alignment with the slot between conveyor systems 29 and Ed on the other side thereof. The upper and lower holding plates are attached to each other by a lever and pivot arrangement (not shown) to permit the upper plate to be tilted and form an opening to receive the folded cut length of the web it). The holding plates are mounted for horizontal travel towards and away from the slot between conveyor systems 29 and 3% by a suitable rack and pinion gearing arrangement 4-6, air cylinders 47, and guide rods 43, as shown in FIG. 3. The path of travel of these holding plates may be seen from a comparison of these plates in their forward position of FIG. 1 to their rearward position of HG. 2. The upper plate is raised and held open by any suitable deadfall or cam arrangement (not shown) in the forward position of PEG. 1 to receive the folded cut length of the web llll.

In operation, the holding plates 44 are moved to their forward position, as seen in FIG. 1, by air cylinders 47 and guide rods 4% and are tilted apart, as shown in HG. 1 for reception of the folded cut length of the web it). When the leading end of the web 1% contacts the switch 39 to actuate the cutter mechanism 23, the switch 39 also actuates the pusher plate 41 through air cylinder 43 and rack and pinion 42 to begin its forward stroke towards the slot between conveyor systems 29 and St During this forward stroke he pusher plate contacts the cut length of the web it? transversely across the midpoint and forces the cut length through the slot to fold the cut length, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, between the upper and lower holding plates and 45. The leading edge of the pusher plate 4-2 strikes the deadfall or cam arrangement and allows the upper holding plate 44 to close on the lower holding plate 45 to hold the folded cut length. At the end path of travel of the pusher plate, the rack 42 contacts another switch 49 which causes the pusher plate to retract to its normal position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, leaving the cut length of the web 1% folded and sandwiched between the upper and lower holding plates 44 and 45 which engage the cut length as the pusher plate begins retracting. The holding plates are of such a size that the unsewn bottom and side edges of the folded cut length of the web 10 project beyond the plates for seaming.

It should be noted that the cutting, folding, and holding operations described above occur in rapid succession and were started by the leading end of the fabric contacting the switch 39 which stopped the draw roll 23 momentarily, activated the cutter mechanism, and activated the pusher plate which raised the cut length of the web 169 from the switch 39 to cause the draw roll 23 to begin operating through clutch 25 to feed the web it for the next sequence of operations. Any slack which may have occurred due to the momentary stopping of the draw roll 23 is taken up by the compensating roll 22.

The folded cut length of the web Ill is now in position between the holding plates 4 and 4-5 for the side and bottom seaming operations. These seaming operations are accomplished by a single sewing machine 50. The sewing machine 5% is swingly mounted on a vertical drive shaft 51 to be adapted to swing about a vertical axis through the shaft 51 around a path on support plate 52 which is mounted stationary on the machine frame.

The drive shaft 51 may be driven by any suitable motor or drive arrangement. The sewing machine 5t includes a gear box 53. Vertical drive shaft Sll drives horizontal shaft 5'4 through gear box 53 which drives the belt and pulley system 55 to drive sewing machine 51?. The vertical drive shaft 51 also drives a horizontal shaft 56 through gear box 53 which has a pinion gear 57 on the outer end thereof.

The sewing machine 5% is swung in its path of 90 for seaming the folded side and the folded bottom of the cut length of the web ltl by cylinders and rods 58, chains 59, and sprockets 6t? and 61. For this purpose, gear box 53 has sprocket as fixed thereto, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Sprocket til. is an idler sprocket disposed as shown in FIG. 3. Extending between these sprockets 6i) and 61 are chains 59 having cylinders and rods 58 attached therein, as shown in FlG. 3. One of the cylinders and rods 58 is a double acting air cylinder secured to the machine frame for turning the sewing machine 5% and the other is a hydraulic cylinder secured to the machine frame for cushioning this movement. The sewing machine 5% and gear box 53 may therefore be swung in their 90 path by actuating the air cylinder and rod 58.

In the bottom seaming operation, when the pusher plate 4-1 retracts to its normal position, as shown in solid lines in PEG. 2, it actuates a suitable electro-mechanical circuit (not shown) to rotate vertical drive shaft 51 to drive the sewing machine 5t and pinion gear 57 and to actuate air cylinders 58 to swing the sewing machine fill and gear box 53 from their side seaming position of FIG. 3 to the bottom seaming position of FIGS. 1 and 5. When the sewing machine 3% and gear box 53 have been swung to the bottom seaming position of FIGS. 1 and 5, the pinion gear 57 meshes with another pinion gear (not shown) to drive the holding plates 44 and 45 past the sewing machine 5% to sew the bottom seam on the cut and folded length of the web it).

As the holding plates 44 and 45 near the end of their length of travel they contact a suitable switch (not shown) to cut off power to the vertical drive shaft 51 thereby stopping operation of the sewing machine 59 and pinion gear 57. A conventional needle positioner in the sewing machine carries these mechanisms the last few stitches and ensures that the needle is stopped in a raised position. The holding plates also contact a cam (not shown) which separates them so the cut length of the web may be fed from between them in a transverse direction.

For accomplishing transverse feeding for sewing the side seam, a conveyor belt 62 is provided in the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This conveyor belt 62 has a plurality of pins 63 disposed along the length thereof for contact with the side edge of the cut web 10. The conveyor belt is disposed over the cut web around a pair of pulleys which are driven by any suitable mechanical linkage. The conveyor belt 62 is maintained in a position spaced above the holding plates 44 and 45 and the cut length of web 10 during the bottom seaming operation, described above, by a suitable air cylinder arrangement (not shown).

Following completion of the bottom seaming operation, described above, the holding plates 44 and 45 also contact a suitable electrical circuit which actuates the air cylinder 58 to swing the sewing machine and gear box 53 to the side seaming position of FIG. 2. The electrical circuits also actuate the vertical drive shaft 51 to operate the sewing machine 56 and the pinion gear 57 and causes the air cylinder holding the conveyor belt 62 to lower the conveyor belt 62 onto the side edge of the cut length of the web 10 inside a sufficient distance to allow seaming of that edge. The pinion gear 57 meshes with another pinion gear (not shown) in the side seaming position to drive the conveyor belt 62 by its driving linkages. The conveyor belt 62 with pins 63 will now effectively convey the cut length of web 16 past the sewing machine 50 in the transverse direction from between the plates 44 and 45 for sewing the side seam to complete the pillow case, bag, or the like.

Cooperating with the conveyor belt 62 to feed the cut length of web 10 is a doifer mechanism 64. The dolfer mechanism comprises movable jaws and 66 mounted on rotating shaft 67. The shaft 67 is rotated by chain drive 68. The movable jaws are adapted to clamp against fixed jaws (not shown) disposed beneath them as viewed in FIG. 3. Cams 69 and '70 are provided for raising the movable jaws 65 and 66 with respect to the fixedjaws.

In operation, the dotfer 64 is in the forward position, shown in FIG. 3 with the jaws 65 and 66 raised from the fixed jaws by cam 69 for reception of the seamed cut length of web 10. When the belt conveyor 67 has carried the cut length of web 10 to the jaws 65 and 66,

the chain drive 68 begins operating to move the doifer rearwardly in sequence with the belt conveyor 62 by any convenient mechanism, such as a lug from the belt conveyor drive. The jaws 65 and 66 close on the fixed jaws when they are withdrawn from the cam 70 to clamp the cut length of web 10 therebetween. The doffer will pull the seamed cut length of the web 10 past the sewing machine 50 and the belt conveyor 62. When the doifer has reached the end of its stroke it will contact cam 70 to open the jaws and release the seamed. cut length. The seamed cut length of the web 10 will fall onto the stacker bar 71 to be removed by the operator. The doifer drive is controlled by a timing belt which will shut it off, out off the power to vertical drive shaft 62, and actuate the air cylinder to raise the belt conveyor 62. The machine will be ready for the next sequence of operations.

This invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for automatically producing pillow cases, bags, and the like compriisng means for feeding an open width continuous web of material, means for folding over one longitudinal edge of the web, means for hemming the folded edge of the web, means for cutting the hemmed web into individually cut pieces of predetermined length, means for folding and holding the individual cut pieces so that each of the cut and unsewn edges are in superposed relationship, and means for sewing the folded pieces along the bottom edge and along the cut side edge to form a pillow case, bag, or the like.

2. A mechanism for automatically producing pillow cases, bags, and the like, as set forth in claim 1, in which said means for folding and holding the individually out pieces comprise a pair of superposed holding plates for receiving and holding the folded individually cut piece, and a movable pusher plate adapted to contact the cut unfolded piece transversely across its midpoint and to push the cut length into a folded position between said holding plates.

3. A mechanism for automatically producing pillow cases, bags, and the like, as set forth in claim 1, in which said means for sewing the cut folded pieces along the bottom edge and along the cut side edge comprise a sewing machine mounted to swing along an arc of for sewing the bottom edge as the cut folded piece travels in the longitudinal direction of the mechanism and the out side edge as the folded piece travels in the traverse direction of the mechanism.

4. A mechanism for automatically producing pillow cases, bags, and the like, as set forth in claim 3, includ ing means for conveying the folded cut piece in the longitudinal direction of the mechanism comprising a pair of movable superposed plates, and means for conveying the folded cut piece in the transverse direction of the mechanism comprising a belt conveyor having a plurality of upstanding pins thereon for contact with one edge of the piece.

5. A mechanism for automatically producing pillow cases, bags, and the like, as set forth in claim 1, including a doffer mechanism to stack the finished pieces.

6. A sewing mechanism for sewing a transverse and a longitudinal seam in a cut length of material comprising a vertically extending drive shaft, a sewing machine mounted on said vertically extending drive shaft and adapted to swing in a 90 are, a pair of sprockets one of which is fixed to said sewing machine, a chain disposed around said pair of sprockets, and a pair of air cylinders and rods contained within said chain for rotating said chain to rotate said sprockets to swing said sewing machine through the 90 arc.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 208,831 10/1878 Lauder 270-83 893,136 7/1908 Brannen 27083 2,145,592 l/1939 Folger 270-83 2,649,064 8/ 1953 Durrschmidt. 2,667,132 1/1954 Golden 112-10 2,694,372 11/1954 Hadfield. 2,940,404 6/ 1960 Damon 112-10 3,126,848 3/1964 Gastonguay 112-10 FOREIGN PATENTS 23 8,770 1/1960 Australia.

513,335 8/1952 Belgium.

599,956 10/ 1925 France.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING PILLOW CASES, BAGS, AND THE LIKE COMPRISING MEANS FOR FEEDING AN OPEN WIDTH CONTINUOUS WEB OF MATERIAL, MEANS FOR FOLDING OVER ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE WEB, MEANS FOR HEMMING THE FOLDED EDGE OF THE WEB, MEANS FOR CUTTING THE HEMMED WEB INTO INDIVIDUALLY CUT PIECES OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH, MEANS FOR FOLDING AND HOLDING THE INDIVID- 